Author: Anne

This author has written 802 articles

BEING VULNERABLE

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better.

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again,

because there is not effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause;

who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly…”

Quote by Theodore Roosevelt’s speech “Citizenship in a Republic” delivered at the Sorbonne in Paris, France on April 23, 1910.

REFLECTION:

  • Are you in the arena of life?
  • Are you allowing the “critics” in the  stands to point out your shortcomings?
  • Is there a worthy cause you are willing to get into the arena for … to dare greatly?
  • What is it?  Take a first step into the arena today.

CONTRITION, YES. GUILT, NO.

“I don’t think being human has any place for guilt.  Contrition, yes.  Guilt, no.  Contrition means you tell God you are sorry and you’re not going to do it again and you start off afresh.  All the damage you’ve done to yourself, put right.  Guilt means you go on and on belaboring and having emotions and beating your breast and being ego-fixated.  Guilt is a trap.  People love guilt because they feel if they suffer enough guilt, they’ll make up for what they’ve done.  Whereas, in fact, they’re just sitting in a puddle and splashing.  Contrition, you move forward.  It’s over.  You are willing to forgo the pleasures of guilt.”

Quote from Sister Wendy Beckett a Roman Catholic Nun – as quoted in BROKEN OPEN  How Difficult Time Can Help Us Grow by Elizabeth Lesser

REFLECTION:

  • Are you living with guilt?  What guilt trap are you caught in?
  • Are you willing to STOP feeling guilty? 
  • Are you willing to seek contrition? Are you willing to tell God… tell someone you are sorry?
  • How can you embrace contrition so you can move forward?

Really Hungry for…

“I listen to the silence I have in the past called, inertia….  The more I listen, the more I can hear these hungers echoing in the stillness.  They seem to be calling for a few basic soul needs to be filled:  to express and receive love; to be present with and for what we love; to know and be known; to be peaceful and satisfied; to create peace and satisfaction; to be acknowledged as making a difference and to acknowledge that others make a difference to us; to find meaning and purpose in life as well as having life find meaning in our existence.”

This excerpt from Dawna Markova speaks of the deepest human needs.  We are so busy living life at such a frenetic pace that there isn’t time to explore our truth in the stillness.  We never want to feed this deep desire – keeping busy allows it to be kept at bay.  Yet there will come a time when you must… you will be forced to if you don’t.  

From: I WILL NOT DIE AN UNLIVED LIFE   Reclaiming Purpose and Passion.  by Dawna Markova

REFLECTION: 

  • Are your soul needs being fed now?
  • Are you so busy and  not willing to look at what actually feeds you… what do you need?  How can you take some time… make some time to explore and face into your deepest human needs? 
  • What action will you take to quell your “real hunger”?